Airbnb is suing the City of New Orleans over the obligation for short-term rental platforms to ensure that properties they listed on their platforms are in compliance with city laws.
In response to the influx of illegal short-term rentals catering to the millions of visitors who flock to New Orleans annually, the city responded by adopting new regulations in 2023 that mean Airbnb owners must live on site, and limiting short-term rentals to one per block.
Enforcing these rules proved difficult and a federal appeals court is currently reviewing the policies.
In 2024 the city council adopted regulations set to go into effect in June 2025 requiring Airbnb and other platforms to verify all New Orleans properties they list have permits from the city council. Airbnb said it should not be tasked with implementing the city’s policies, stating: “It is the government’s job to enforce its laws, not Airbnb’s.” The company also protested having to hand over “confidential, sensitive and private data” such as taxes and fees it collected, and the number of bookings per property, in monthly reports to the city.
